Renting a Jetta or Passat?

The IIRC 'silver' rating of these sedans for protecting driver & passengers in a crash

formatting link
me looking at them to replace my '95 4Runner, which is now overkillfor the driving I do these days. However, I'm fussy about cars; seating is very important, for my wife is 5'1" yet I'm 6'3" with a long inseam. Because of injuries & decriptude, I have to fully stretch my legs for a few moments every half hour or so (cruise control is a blessing), which sems to work OK when checking these cars on the showroom.

Where might I rent either? Anyone here rented one? If so, which rental agency, and where?

For your on-topic comments, thank you kindly.

Reply to
John Bartley
Loading thread data ...

Not sure about Passats but I believe Enterprise is renting Jettas now.

Some VW dealers also might rent out cars too.

Reply to
Matt B.

I don't know that anyone rents them, but I'd recommend a Jetta - VWs traditionally have lots of passenger space, and the Jetta has traditionally been less problematic than the Passat.

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

Do not know who rents here, but Avis in Italy does. Rented a Jetta TDI diesel last year. Not as comfortable as my Chevy Crewcab truck, but was actually very nice. And I am 6'4". The diesel ran like a gas engine. No rattle, and ran 145 lph (95 mph) down the highway with plenty of power to spare, and got very good milage.

Reply to
Bill McKee

Rent? Are there no local VW dealers willing to let you take a test drive, for free?

K.

Reply to
Király

You didn't say where in the world you are located. Try asking a local VW dealer for a rental or a referral to a local agency where you can rent VW vehicles.

Reply to
Shawn Hirn

he's probably looking to try one out for a couple of days and not just 10 minutes.

Reply to
Matt B.

I'd say get an 'old' (1998-2005) Passat. It has a better AWD system for handling and has better weight distribution. Your dealer might even still have a few in stock and be more than willing to get rid of them for under cost since they're "last year's model" (but IMHO a better car than the current Passat).

-Andrew

Reply to
Andrew Szafran

If stretch room for someone 6'3" is a primary concern then the Passat and even more so the Jetta will be a bit cramped in my experience as someone who is 6'. I test drove both as well as several other cars last year before settling on a Volvo V70.

You might want to look at something larger like one of the 4 door sedans from Chevy or Ford. Also, the Toyota Avalon seemed to have a good amount of stretch room when I test drove one last year.

Reply to
John S.

I know somone who bought that model and had to sell it because he found the seats intolerably uncomfortable.

If you like great seats I can recommend Saab.

Graham

Reply to
Pooh Bear

Look at the Crown Vic. Seriously. Once you get past the "old guy's car" rep, it's a damn good car. They're RWD, very durable[*], comfortable, and get 25-27 mpg on the highway. Not "flashy" for sure, but nonetheless good.

[*]- You see NYC cabs with 250+ k miles running around all the time. There's something to be said for a car that lasts that long in *hard* city driving. (NYC roads aren't the best, traffic is stop-and-go all the time, and it gets *hot* in summer.)

-Andrew

Reply to
Andrew Szafran

You don't often learn a lot in a trip around the block with the salesman pressuring you about buying the car, never shutting up long enough to even listen to the radio, much less check seating comfort over an extended period with two or more drivers at the wheel.

Reply to
Bob Ward

Seat comfort is very much a personal thing. The original poster might find the 'old' Passat quite comfy (and I'm not sure how different the 'new' Passat's seats are anyway).

I find my Volvo 240's seats to be extremely comfortable (not to mention the best seat heaters ever), but a short friend complained that the pass. seat was 'awful' on a long trip.

-Andrew

Reply to
Andrew Szafran

Hell, any GM or Saturn dealer will give you a 24 hour test drive.

Reply to
Bill McKee

But I don't think the OP could get a Passat from his local Saturn dealer :-)

Reply to
Bert Hyman

It's a shoddily-engineered, shoddily-built piece of garbage from Ford.

Big deal! I still see '85-'87 Yugos, Chevrolet Cavaliers and other such dreck with that kind of mileage on them. With enough parts replacement, you can make anything last that long.

Reply to
Daniel J. Stern

Yep! Even a Volkswagon. LOL

formatting link

>
Reply to
GeoffP

Certainly simpler and more maintainable than the 500 or Taurus. Nice, simple RWD drivetrain and well-debugged design (the basic design is 20+ years old). I thought your philosophy was K.I.S.S., Daniel, and that you were a fan of the old RWD Volvo (1-/2- series) and slant-6 Dodges for that very reason.

-Andrew

Reply to
Andrew Szafran

A used one. Or mention the offer to the VW dealer.

Reply to
Bill McKee

The callsign shows I'm in the Pacific NW of the US - and the local dealer had not a clue where I could rent one for a 300 mile drive, nor would they allow me to drive it that long.

Reply to
John Bartley

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.